It's final exam time tonight for the Rams

It's final exam time tonight for the Rams
By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
08/30/2007

The minicamps, the spring workouts, the training camp practices — they're all over.

So for those Rams players on the bubble, there is only tonight. Their last chance to impress Scott Linehan and the rest of the coaching staff comes in the form of the almost-annual Governor's Cup game against Kansas City tonight at 7:05 at the Edward Jones Dome.

"By playing good (tonight), that's the only thing they really can control," Linehan said. "I guess their last job interview is the Kansas City game."

As the team huddled following Tuesday's practice — the last full-scale practice of game week — Linehan told the players as much. The current 75-man roster must be trimmed to the regular-season limit of 53 by Saturday afternoon. As was the case last year, Linehan will inform all of the cut players personally.

"I think it's only fair to them that they understand why, and what the reasoning was," Linehan said. "It doesn't necessarily mean they're going to agree. Probably none of them agree. But at least they know, and know maybe what they need to work on."

If form holds true from a year ago, tonight's exhibition finale will be all about roster shaping and deciding those last few spots. In last year's exhibition finale, 20 of the 22 opening-day starters didn't play. Neither did No. 2 quarterback Gus Frerotte. Linehan is expected to take a similar approach tonight.

So for bubble players such as rookie wide receiver Derek Stanley, tonight's game is one of the most important contests in their lives. For some, it will be their last game of this season. For others, it will be the last game of their careers.

"It does kind of stand out in your mind as, 'Hey, you've got to really show up here,'" Stanley said. "Because after this, it's either cutting time, or you've got your NFL regular season, where the real work starts."

The impressive work of Stanley, a seventh-round pick from NCAA Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater, has clouded the wide receiver position. It still looks as if Marques Hagans has a lock on the No. 6 spot, but what if Stanley has a dazzling game tonight? And Hagans doesn't?

If Stanley doesn't make the roster and the Rams try to place him on their eight-man practice squad, there's always a chance that another NFL team will claim him off waivers for its active roster.

"That's the tough part, and it's the gamble," Linehan said. "Ultimately, we're probably going to end up being in (a situation) where we've got to expose a player maybe that we might want to keep on the practice squad. That's the reality of what happens."

Wide receiver is just one of several positions at which final roster spots appear to be up for grabs in St. Louis. There also is uncertainty about:

Re: It's final exam time tonight for the Rams

i think his math is off. If you go back and look at my thread on further analysis of the 53 man roster, i dont see how we can carry 10 offensive lineman, 7 linebackers AND an extra defensive back while brown is out. I also dont understand how he thinks that the last offensive line spot comes down to Brown vs Parquet. By my count, we have pace, barron, romberg, setterstrom, incognito, mccollum (there are no indications at this point that he will be cut and barry waller says he will stay), steussie, terrell fry and goldberg. thats 10 right there and that doesnt count either brown or parquet, unless he thinks one of the guys i listed is destined to be cut or put on the practice squad (which he should have said if thats what he meant).

As for hedgecock vs walker, i dont see how we can go into the season with no fullbacks at all.